What is the difference between Shabbat in Hong Kong and Shabbat in Washington, DC?

In 1992, Washington, D.C. based Jewish folksinger and cantorial soloist Robyn Helzner asked herself the same question when she  traveled to the former British colony to serve as High Holiday cantor for the United Jewish Congregation of Hong Kong. The 500 members of the UJC are mostly American expatriates. The high powered, dynamic community includes executives, bankers, journalists, and professors. In an environment where things happen three times faster than in New York, Shabbat, the day of rest, is an important event.

A fan of Robyn's living in Hong Kong recommended her to the UJC, which then invited Robyn to be their first cantorial soloist.

Robyn found Hong Kong to be an awesome place. Enormous skyscrapers and lush, green wilderness areas co-exist on the tiny island. The people are hard working and industrious. Modern technology is juxtaposed with ancient Chinese traditions. Hong Kong is a feast for the senses. Robyn marveled at the city’s energies and contradictions.

On the eve of Rosh Hashanah, Robyn encountered a congregation unfamiliar with her melodies and style. She wondered how the congregation would receive her music. Not to worry—when she concluded the service, a UJC board member told her, "You’re hired for next year."

Robyn continued her association with the UJC for six years as a respected member of the clergy, a concert performer, and a friend. In addition to her annual High Holiday visits, the UJC hosted two winter residencies. Robyn officiated at several B’nai Mitzvah and performed family concerts at Hong Kong’s Jewish Community Centre. She contributed to the congregation’s education programs by offering music workshops on a variety of topics. Her residencies in Hong Kong led to concerts in Tokyo and her participation as cantor at the first Bar Mitzvah in Beijing.

Robyn is scheduled to return to Hong Kong in the winter of 1999. "Hong Kong has become my home away from home. Who would have thought," Robyn muses, "that there would be a place for Jewish music in Asia!"

Robyn discovered that the only difference between Shabbat in Hong Kong and Washington, D.C. is a mere twelve hours.